Because we are still away on vacation, I’m giving you an emergency dinner today: breakfast. Yes, it is entirely possible that we had this last week, when I was frantically racing around (with my first head cold in 15 months, mind you) trying to get everything done so that we wouldn’t be leaving loose ends while we’re away. Sometimes you just need to throw something on the table and be done with it.
I can have scrambled egg(beaters), grits, and (veggie) sausage cooked and plated in 15 minutes flat. Admittedly, there are no veggies on that plate. Some days, that’s just how it goes. If that’s a real problem for you, have an orange for dessert–it’ll keep you from getting scurvy.
You don’t need a recipe, do you? Really? Okay.
Breakfast for dinner.
Serves 2; multiply as necessary.1/2 cup quick-cooking (NOT instant, but also not the old-fashioned slow-cooking kind; this is an emergency dinner) grits*
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil; add a pinch of salt and stir in the grits. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until grits have thickened, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While you’re waiting for the water to boil, put 2 pans on the heat for the eggs and sausage.
1 1/2 cups eggbeater, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
Heat a skillet over low-medium heat. The trick with eggbeaters (or real eggs, for that matter) is to cook them slowly. When your pan has heated, spray it liberally with pan spray, and pour in the eggbeaters. Let them cook without stirring for a few minutes, while you put the sausage on and set the table.
Veggie sausage–2 patties per person (we like Morningstar Farms brand).
Put a skillet over medium heat; when it’s heat, spray with pan spray. Add patties. Let cook for 3 or 4 minutes; when starting to crisp on the bottom, flip them over. They’re done when they’re heated through and crispy on both sides.
Give the eggs a gentle fold with a wooden spoon. Stir the grits to make sure they aren’t sticking. Pour drinks, and get out butter or margarine for the grits. I also like shredded cheese on my eggs (as in, I won’t eat eggs any way other than scrambled, and topped with cheese. But I’m picky that way–your mileage may vary).
Stir the eggs, gently, every couple of minutes till they’re done. You want big, fluffy chunks.
Serve. Eat as quickly as possible, then get on with the 15 things you still need to get done before bedtime.
If you are not from the south, you might not be as deeply enamored of grits as I am. I grew up with them, and for a time in my young childhood, I would eat nothing else for breakfast. Incidentally, we lived in England, where grits are not to be found. My grandmother used to ship over boxes of the instant packets for my dining pleasure (was I a bit of a princess?). I even have a faint scar on my right arm, like a bunch of pinpricks, where boiling water splashed on my one morning while I waited impatiently for my requisite bowl of gritty goodness.
Try them–they are deeply comforting and soulful. Just don’t burn yourself.
*And yes, I always have more than one variety of grits in my house at any given time. That’s true love.